


breathe

by nishanightray



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Underwater kisses, kaoru is very gay but he doesn't know (yet)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 13:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7759594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishanightray/pseuds/nishanightray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaoru is starting to feel a bit light-headed, and he wonders if it would be possible to keep the kiss going by breathing oxygen in each other’s lungs. It kind of sounds like a cliché from a rom-com.</p>
            </blockquote>





	breathe

**Author's Note:**

> i've ended up writing another enstars fanfic, and this time is kaokana. the prompt was: underwater kisses!

Out of The Oddballs, Kanata might just be the most approachable: although there are many people who think that, Kaoru isn’t sure he agrees. After all, he is someone who should know better, since he has to put up with two of them. He is already used to Rei’s selfish whims (well, Kaoru supposes that all of the Undead members, including himself, are selfish in their own way) and to his weird beliefs (do vampires really exist?), while Kanata still has him left wondering.

It’s not like Kanata is difficult to talk to. He’s actually a nice person and his fixation for the ocean and the marine creatures is kind of cute, really. Even Kaoru, who has joined the Marine Life club only because it doesn’t require a strict attendance and he could skip whenever he wanted,  finds himself enraptured when he hears Kanata talk about the ocean with such passion. He finds himself enchanted as he watches his club president blissfully floating in one of the deepest aquaria they have, surrounded by colored little fishes (that could be goldfishes or maybe not, Kaoru’s not sure). Kanata really likes to go into the tanks to clean them personally; that’s how much he loves water and the creatures living in it. He looks so happy that Kaoru thinks it’s almost a pity that he was born on the surface and not as a merman, or some other marine creature. 

But Kanata is also a total airhead most of the times and a bit of a troublemaker, since he always does what he wants, never stopping to think about the consequences. It’s not even a surprise anymore when he lets go of his oxygen tank to swim more freely, which is very stupid, because he can’t swim at all. It’s like he keeps forgetting, or maybe he just doesn’t care; he just loves being in the water too much.

Kaoru _cares_. He doesn’t want Kanata to drown. For once, he almost wishes Souma was here to help him out; if he was there, he would have already thrown himself into the tank, but unfortunately today he is occupied with his unit activities and has thus been unable to attend the club. Kaoru has to quickly strip himself and plunge into the tank to rescue Kanata.

His right arm quickly encircles Kanata’s waist and pulls him closer. Kanata looks up at him and a few bubbles escape his mouth when he opens it out of surprise; he looks awfully calm for someone who’s risking of drowning. He also looks beautiful, but it’s not the time to think about that.

Kaoru is already thinking about what to say to Kanata when they go out, even though he knows that Kanata will probably repeat the same thing next time he cleans the tanks. He’s weirdly stubborn about it. He wants to live freely, doing what he wants while he can. Kaoru can understand that.

Then, Kanata suddenly starts struggling, seemingly wanting to stick closer to him.

Kaoru turns and raises an eyebrow at him, but Kanata just shakes his head and smiles sheepishly. A few bubbles escape his mouth again. Kaoru can’t really read his lips and he just blinks back at him, confused. 

Kanata smiles a little more openly and puts his hands on each side of Kaoru’s face. His eyes close slowly, his eyelashes fluttering.

His lips touch Kaoru’s so, so slowly.

Kaoru is beyond confused, his eyes widening and his breath coming out abruptly out of his nose. Out of instinct, he tightens his grip on Kanata’s waist and puts his hand on the small of his back, like he would do with a girl. It’s kind of weird, because Kanata’ skin is smooth and his waist is thin, but he’s also undeniably a boy.

Kaoru feels Kanata exhale a little sigh on his mouth, and he wants to swallow it. He wants to steal Kanata’s breath, or maybe he just wants to keep kissing him.

The thought suddenly occurs to him – that he wants to _kiss_ him- and it’s electrifying, absolutely terrifying.

Kaoru grabs Kanata’s head and threads his fingers in his azure hair, floating all around Kanata’s face. He wants to pull him impossibly closer and he does so without trying to deepen the kiss, for the moment he’s fine with this. Kanata also seems satisfied with just going with the flow and keeps kissing him until their lungs burn.

Kaoru is starting to feel a bit light-headed, and he wonders if it would be possible to keep the kiss going by breathing oxygen in each other’s lungs. It kind of sounds like a cliché from a rom-com. They really need to breathe, so Kaoru forces himself to swim to the surface, dragging Kanata with him.

When they finally emerge, they remain floating. Kaoru doesn’t really know what else to say, so he just blurts out, “Don’t let go of the oxygen tank.”

Kanata simply stares at him, water dripping from his hair on his beautiful face. He looks as calm as ever, but his cheeks are rosier than usual.

“I wanted to swim more,” he says, smiling.

 _But you can’t swim_ , Kaoru thinks, but for some reason words are stuck in his throat. It’s weird, because even though they are not underwater anymore, he still feels his lungs burning; it’s almost as if he’s been the one drowning all along.

He blinks water out of his eyes. Kanata’s hands are back on his face.

“Kaoru,” he whispers, “breathe.”

But then he kisses him again, and Kaoru finds that breathing has never been more difficult. 

**Author's Note:**

> i love the fact that kanata can't swim, it's kind of weird considering how much he loves water... but the fact that nonetheless he wants to clean the tanks and swim with the fishes is just like him. i think kanata's adorable!  
> kaoru has a lot of... mixed feelings about it... (he's so gay but he doesn't know yet)
> 
> n/a: english is not my mother language, but i look forward to improve myself, so reviews are highly appreciated!


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